U.S. patent application number 16/926216 was filed with the patent office on 2020-10-29 for communications method and apparatus.
The applicant listed for this patent is Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Huan Li, Wei Lu, Hualin Zhu.
Application Number | 20200344823 16/926216 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004957280 |
Filed Date | 2020-10-29 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200344823 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lu; Wei ; et al. |
October 29, 2020 |
Communications Method and Apparatus
Abstract
A communications method and apparatus related to the field of
communications technologies and includes receiving, by an access
and mobility management network element, a first message
corresponding to a packet data unit (PDU) session from a session
management network element, where the first message includes first
information to be sent to a terminal, and where the PDU session is
established based on a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project
(non-3GPP) access, and sending, by the access and mobility
management network element, the first information to the terminal
using a 3GPP access.
Inventors: |
Lu; Wei; (Shenzhen, CN)
; Zhu; Hualin; (Shanghai, CN) ; Li; Huan;
(Shanghai, CN) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. |
Shenzhen |
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CN |
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Family ID: |
1000004957280 |
Appl. No.: |
16/926216 |
Filed: |
July 10, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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PCT/CN2019/088025 |
May 22, 2019 |
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16926216 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 48/08 20130101;
H04W 76/10 20180201; H04W 68/005 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 76/10 20060101
H04W076/10; H04W 68/00 20060101 H04W068/00; H04W 48/08 20060101
H04W048/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 13, 2018 |
CN |
201810921208.5 |
Claims
1. A communications method implemented by an access and mobility
management network element, wherein the method comprises: receiving
a first message corresponding to a packet data unit (PDU) session
from a session management network element, wherein the first
message comprises first information that is to be sent to a
terminal through an N1 interface, wherein the first message does
not comprise second information that is to be sent to an access
network device through an N2 interface, and wherein the PDU session
is based on a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project (non-3GPP)
access; sending a paging message to the terminal using a 3GPP
access when the terminal is registered with the non-3GPP access and
the 3GPP access and is in an idle state in the non-3GPP access;
receiving a service request message from the terminal in response
to the paging message; skipping sending of a PDU session update
context request message to the session management network element;
and sending the first information to the terminal using the 3GPP
access.
2. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising sending
a service accept message to the terminal.
3. The communications method of claim 1, wherein the first message
is a service operation message based on the PDU session.
4. The communications method of claim 3, wherein the first message
is an Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message.
5. The communications method of claim 1, wherein sending the first
information to the terminal comprises sending a non-access stratum
(NAS) message to the terminal using the 3GPP access, wherein the
NAS message comprises the first information.
6. The communications method of claim 1, further comprising sending
access type information corresponding to the first information to
the terminal using the 3GPP access. An apparatus comprising: a
memory configured to store instructions; and a processor coupled to
the memory, wherein the instructions cause the processor to be
configured to: receive a first message corresponding to a packet
data unit (PDU) session from a session management network element,
wherein the first message comprises first information that is to be
sent to a terminal through an N1 interface, wherein the first
message does not comprise second information that is to be sent to
an access network device through an N2 interface, and wherein the
PDU session is based on a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project
(non-3GPP) access; send a paging message to the terminal using a
3GPP access when the terminal is registered with the non-3GPP
access and the 3GPP access and is in an idle state in the non-3GPP
access; receive a service request message from the terminal in
response to the paging message; skip sending of a PDU session
update context request message to the session management network
element; and send the first information to the terminal using the
3GPP access.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause
the processor to be configured to send a service accept message to
the terminal.
9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first message is a service
operation message based on the PDU session.
10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first message is an
Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message.
11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions further
cause the processor to be configured to send a non-access stratum
(NAS) message to the terminal using the 3GPP access, and wherein
the first information is carried in the NAS message.
12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the instructions further
cause the processor to be configured to send access type
information corresponding to the first information to the terminal
using the 3GPP access.
13. A communications system comprising: a session management
apparatus configured to send a first message corresponding to a
packet data unit (PDU) session, wherein the first message comprises
first information that is to be sent to a terminal through an N1
interface, wherein the first message does not comprise second
information that is to be sent to an access network device through
an N2 interface, and wherein the PDU session is established based
on a non-3rd Generation Partnership Project (non-3GPP) access; and
an access and mobility management apparatus configured to: receive
the first message from the session management apparatus; send a
paging message to the terminal using a 3GPP access when the
terminal is registered with the non-3GPP access and a 3GPP access
and is in an idle state in the non-3GPP access; receive a service
request message from the terminal in response to the paging
message; skip sending of a PDU session update context request
message to the session management apparatus; and send the first
information to the terminal using the 3GPP access.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the access and mobility
management apparatus is further configured to send a service accept
message to the terminal.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first message is a service
operation message based on the PDU session.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first message is an
Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein the access and mobility
management apparatus is further configured to send a non-access
stratum (NAS) message to the terminal using the 3GPP access, and
wherein the first information is carried in the NAS message.
18. The system of claim 13, wherein the access and mobility
management apparatus is further configured to send access type
information corresponding to the first information to the terminal
using the 3GPP access.
19. The system of claim 13, wherein the session management
apparatus is further configured to generate the first message in a
user plane-triggered manner.
20. The system of claim 13, wherein the session management
apparatus is further configured to generate the first message in a
control plane-triggered manner.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of International Patent
Application No. PCT/CN2019/088025 filed on May 22, 2019, which
claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201810921208.5
filed on Aug. 13, 2018. The disclosures of the aforementioned
applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their
entireties.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of this application relate to the field of
communications technologies, and in particular, to a communications
method and apparatus.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A next generation mobile communications system network
architecture, which may also be referred to as a fifth generation
(5G) network architecture, not only supports a terminal in
accessing a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) using a 3rd
Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access, but also supports the
terminal in accessing the PLMN using a non-3GPP access. That is,
the terminal may establish packet data unit (PDU) sessions
separately based on the 3GPP access and the non-3GPP access.
However, when a network-side device (namely, a network element in
the PLMN) receives a message (or signaling) corresponding to a PDU
session that is established based on a non-3GPP access network, and
the message carries information to be sent to the terminal, there
is no processing solution.
SUMMARY
[0004] Embodiments of this application provide a communications
method and apparatus, to provide a technical solution to use when a
network-side device receives a message (or signaling) corresponding
to a PDU session that is established based on a non-3GPP access
network, and the message carries information to be sent to a
terminal.
[0005] According to a first aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a communications method, including receiving,
by an access and mobility management network element, a first
message corresponding to a PDU session from a session management
network element, where the first message includes first information
to be sent to a terminal, and the PDU session is a PDU session that
is established based on a non-3GPP access, and sending, by the
access and mobility management network element, the first
information to the terminal using a 3GPP access.
[0006] The first message corresponding to the PDU session is a
message initiated (or triggered) by the session management network
element based on a PDU session processing procedure (for example, a
PDU session authorization/authentication procedure, a PDU session
release procedure, or a PDU session modification procedure). For
example, the first message may be a service operation message based
on the PDU session. The service operation message for the PDU
session may be an N1N2 signaling transmission message, for example,
an Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message.
[0007] The first information is a type of information to be sent to
the terminal, for example, may be N1 information.
[0008] This technical solution provides a processing procedure used
when the access and mobility management network element receives
the message sent by the session management network element and
including the first information to be sent to the terminal, and the
message is a message corresponding to the PDU session that is
established based on the non-3GPP access, and the first information
is sent to the terminal using the 3GPP access. In this way, even if
the terminal is in an idle state in the non-3GPP access, this
technical solution provides a solution for the access and mobility
management network element to send information related to the
non-3GPP access to the terminal.
[0009] In a possible implementation, the first message does not
include second information to be sent to an access network device.
The second information is a type of information to be sent to the
access network device, for example, may be N2 information.
[0010] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
determining, by the access and mobility management network element,
that the terminal is already registered with both the 3GPP access
and the non-3GPP access.
[0011] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
rejecting, by the access and mobility management network element,
activation of a user plane of the PDU session. In this way,
resource overheads caused by the activation of the user plane of
the PDU session can be reduced.
[0012] In a possible implementation, the first message further
includes first instruction information, and the first instruction
information is used to instruct not to activate the user plane of
the PDU session, and rejecting, by the access and mobility
management network element, activation of a user plane of the PDU
session includes rejecting, by the access and mobility management
network element, the activation of the user plane of the PDU
session based on the first instruction information.
[0013] In a possible implementation, the method further includes if
the terminal is in the idle state in the non-3GPP access, sending,
by the access and mobility management network element, a paging
message or a notification message to the terminal using the 3GPP
access, receiving, by the access and mobility management network
element, a second message from the terminal, where the second
message includes second instruction information, and the second
instruction information is used to instruct not to activate the
user plane of the PDU session, and rejecting, by the access and
mobility management network element, the activation of the user
plane of the PDU session based on the second instruction
information. For example, the second message may be a service
request message. The second instruction information may explicitly
or implicitly instruct not to activate the user plane of the PDU
session.
[0014] In a possible implementation, the second instruction
information includes the second message does not include a set of
PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, or the second message
includes a set of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, and the set
of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal is empty. The set of PDU
sessions allowed by the terminal is a set of PDU sessions that are
established by the terminal using the non-3GPP access and that are
allowed by the terminal to be migrated to the 3GPP access. This
possible design provides several implementations in which the
second instruction information implicitly instructs not to activate
the user plane of the PDU session. Certainly, this embodiment of
this application is not limited thereto.
[0015] In a possible implementation, the paging message or the
notification message includes third indication information, and the
third indication information is used by the terminal to determine
the second instruction information. Certainly, this embodiment of
this application also supports a solution in which the paging
message or the notification message does not include the third
indication information.
[0016] In a possible implementation, rejecting, by the access and
mobility management network element, activation of a user plane of
the PDU session includes sending, by the access and mobility
management network element, a third message to the session
management network element, where the third message is used to
notify the session management network element that the user plane
of the PDU session is not activated, or rejecting, by the access
and mobility management network element, sending of a message (for
example, a PDU session update context request message) to the
session management network element, or sending, by the access and
mobility management network element, a fourth message to the
session management network element, where the fourth message is
used to notify the session management network element that the user
plane of the PDU session cannot be activated.
[0017] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
receiving, by the access and mobility management network element, a
fifth message from the session management network element, where
the fifth message is used to notify the access and mobility
management network element that the user plane of the PDU session
is not activated. In this possible design, the access and mobility
management network element may reject the activation of the user
plane of the PDU session.
[0018] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
sending, by the access and mobility management network element,
fourth indication information to the session management network
element, where the fourth indication information is used to
indicate at least one of the terminal is in the idle state in the
non-3GPP access, the terminal is unreachable in the non-3GPP
access, access type information corresponding to the first
information, or a signaling connection is to be established and no
user plane connection is to be established, and the fourth
indication information is used by the session management network
element to determine the fifth message.
[0019] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
receiving, by the access and mobility management network element
from the session management network element, information about a
reason why the user plane of the PDU session is not activated. For
example, the information about the reason includes the first
information.
[0020] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
sending, by the access and mobility management network element,
access type (which is the non-3GPP access) information
corresponding to the first information and/or access type (which is
the non-3GPP access) information of the PDU session to the terminal
using the 3GPP access.
[0021] According to a second aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a communications method, including sending, by
a session management network element, a first message corresponding
to a PDU session to an access and mobility management network
element, where the first message includes first information to be
sent to a terminal, and the PDU session is a PDU session that is
established based on a non-3GPP access, and rejecting, by the
session management network element, activation of a user plane of
the PDU session.
[0022] In a possible implementation, rejecting, by the session
management network element, activation of a user plane of the PDU
session includes rejecting, by the session management network
element, the activation of the user plane of the PDU session based
on the first information.
[0023] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
receiving, by the session management network element, fourth
indication information from the access and mobility management
network element, where the fourth indication information is used to
indicate at least one of the terminal is in an idle state in the
non-3GPP access, the terminal is unreachable in the non-3GPP
access, access type information corresponding to the first
information, or a signaling connection is to be established and no
user plane connection is to be established, and rejecting, by the
session management network element, activation of a user plane of
the PDU session includes rejecting, by the session management
network element, the activation of the user plane of the PDU
session based on the fourth indication information.
[0024] In a possible implementation, rejecting, by the session
management network element, activation of a user plane of the PDU
session includes sending, by the session management network
element, a fifth message to the access and mobility management
network element, where the fifth message is used to notify the
access and mobility management network element that the user plane
of the PDU session is not activated.
[0025] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
sending, by the session management network element to the access
and mobility management network element, information about a reason
why the activation of the user plane of the PDU session is
rejected. For example, the information about the reason includes
the first information.
[0026] According to a third aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a communications method, including sending, by
a session management network element, a first message corresponding
to a PDU session to an access and mobility management network
element, where the first message includes first information to be
sent to a terminal, and the PDU session is a PDU session that is
established based on a non-3GPP access, and receiving, by the
session management network element, a third message or a fourth
message from the access and mobility management network element,
where the third message is used to notify the session management
network element that a user plane of the PDU session is not
activated, and the fourth message is used to notify the session
management network element that the user plane of the PDU session
cannot be activated.
[0027] According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a communications method, including when a
terminal is in an idle state in a non-3GPP access, receiving, by
the terminal, a paging message or a notification message from an
access and mobility management network element using a 3GPP access,
and sending, by the terminal, a second message to the access and
mobility management network element using the 3GPP access, where
the second message includes second instruction information, the
second instruction information is used to instruct not to activate
a user plane of a PDU session, and the PDU session is a PDU session
that is established based on the non-3GPP access.
[0028] In a possible implementation, the second instruction
information includes the second message does not include a set of
PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, or the second message
includes a set of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, and the set
of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal is empty. The set of PDU
sessions allowed by the terminal is a set of PDU sessions that are
established by the terminal using the non-3GPP access and that are
allowed by the terminal to be migrated to the 3GPP access.
[0029] In a possible implementation, the paging message or the
notification message includes third indication information, and the
method further includes determining, by the terminal, the second
instruction information based on the third indication
information.
[0030] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
receiving, by the terminal, access type information corresponding
to the first information from the access and mobility management
network element using the 3GPP access.
[0031] In a possible implementation, the terminal is already
registered with both the 3GPP access and the non-3GPP access.
[0032] It should be noted that, for explanations and specific
implementations of related content such as the first information,
the second information, and the first message in any one of the
methods according to the second aspect to the fourth aspect, refer
to the first aspect. Details are not described herein again.
[0033] According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a communications method, including receiving,
by an access and mobility management network element, a first
message corresponding to a PDU session from a session management
network element, where the first message includes first information
to be sent to a terminal, and the PDU session is a PDU session that
is established based on a non-3GPP access, and when the terminal is
in an idle state in the non-3GPP access, storing, by the access and
mobility management network element, the first information, when
the terminal is in a connected state in the non-3GPP access,
sending, by the access and mobility management network element, the
first information to the terminal using the non-3GPP access, or
when the PDU session is migrated to a 3GPP access, sending, by the
access and mobility management network element, the first
information to the terminal using the 3GPP access. In this
technical solution, when the terminal is in the idle state in the
non-3GPP access, the access and mobility management network element
may not send a paging message or a notification message to the
terminal, but store the first information. In this way, signaling
overheads caused by sending of the paging message or the
notification message can be reduced.
[0034] In a possible implementation, the first message further
includes second information to be sent to an access network
device.
[0035] According to a sixth aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a communications method, including receiving,
by an access and mobility management network element, a first
message corresponding to a PDU session from a session management
network element, where the first message includes first information
to be sent to a terminal, and the PDU session is a PDU session that
is established based on a non-3GPP access, and rejecting, by the
access and mobility management network element, activation of a
user plane of the PDU session.
[0036] For explanations, specific implementation, beneficial
effects, and the like of related content in this technical
solution, refer to the first aspect. Details are not described
herein again.
[0037] According to a seventh aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a communications apparatus. The apparatus may
be configured to perform the method according to the first aspect.
The apparatus may be the access and mobility management network
element according to the first aspect. In an example, the apparatus
may be a chip.
[0038] In a possible design, functional modules of the apparatus
may be obtained through division according to the method according
to the first aspect. For example, the functional modules may be
obtained through division based on corresponding functions, or two
or more functions may be integrated into one processing module.
[0039] In a possible design, the apparatus may include a memory and
a processor, and the memory is configured to store program code.
When the program code is executed by the processor, the method
according to the first aspect is performed.
[0040] Similarly, an embodiment of this application further
provides a communications apparatus configured to perform any one
of the methods according to the second aspect to the sixth aspect.
For example, if the apparatus is configured to perform the method
according to the second aspect or the third aspect, the apparatus
may be a session management network element, if the apparatus is
configured to perform the method according to the fourth aspect,
the apparatus may be a terminal, if the apparatus is configured to
perform the method according to the fifth aspect or the sixth
aspect, the apparatus may be an access and mobility management
network element. In an example, the apparatus may be a chip.
[0041] In a possible design, functional modules of the apparatus
may be obtained through division according to the method according
to the corresponding aspect. For example, the functional modules
may be obtained through division based on corresponding functions,
or two or more functions may be integrated into one processing
module.
[0042] In a possible design, the apparatus may include a memory and
a processor, and the memory is configured to store program code.
When the program code is executed by the processor, the method
according to the corresponding aspect is performed.
[0043] According to an eighth aspect, an embodiment of this
application provides a processing apparatus configured to implement
a function of the foregoing communications apparatus. The
processing apparatus includes a processor and an interface, and the
processing apparatus may be a chip. The processor may be
implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by software. When
the processor is implemented by the hardware, the processor may be
a logic circuit, an integrated circuit, or the like, when the
processor is implemented by the software, the processor may be a
general-purpose processor, and is implemented by reading software
code stored in the memory. The memory may be integrated into the
processor, may be located outside the processor, or may exist
independently.
[0044] An embodiment of this application further provides a
computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage
medium stores program code, and the program code includes an
instruction used to perform some or all steps of any one of the
methods according to the first aspect to the sixth aspect.
[0045] An embodiment of this application further provides a
computer program product. When the computer program product is run
on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform some or all steps
of any one of the methods according to the first aspect to the
sixth aspect.
[0046] An embodiment of this application further provides a
communications system. The communications system may include an
access and mobility management network element configured to
perform the method according to the first aspect, the fifth aspect,
or the sixth aspect, or a session management network element
configured to perform the method according to the second aspect or
the third aspect, or a terminal configured to perform the method
according to the fourth aspect.
[0047] In a possible design, the communications system includes the
session management network element, the access and mobility
management network element, and the terminal. The session
management network element is configured to send a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to the access and mobility
management network element, where the first message includes first
information to be sent to the terminal, and the PDU session is a
PDU session that is established based on a non-3GPP access. The
access and mobility management network element is configured to
receive the first message, and send the first information to the
terminal using a 3GPP access. The terminal is configured to receive
the first information. Further, the access and mobility management
network element may be further configured to reject activation of a
user plane of the PDU session.
[0048] In a possible design, the communications system includes the
session management network element, the access and mobility
management network element, and the terminal. The session
management network element is configured to send a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to the access and mobility
management network element, and reject activation of a user plane
of the PDU session, where the first message includes first
information to be sent to the terminal, and the PDU session is a
PDU session that is established based on a non-3GPP access. The
access and mobility management network element is configured to
receive the first message. Further, the access and mobility
management network element may be further configured to send the
first information to the terminal. The terminal is configured to
receive the first information.
[0049] For specific implementations and beneficial effects of any
one of the apparatuses, the processing apparatus, the
computer-readable storage medium, the computer program product, and
the like provided above, refer to the foregoing corresponding
methods. Details are not described herein again.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0050] FIG. 1 is a schematic architectural diagram of a
communications system applicable to an embodiment of this
application;
[0051] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a PDU session applicable to
an embodiment of this application;
[0052] FIG. 3 is a first schematic interaction diagram of a
communications method according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0053] FIG. 4A is a second schematic interaction diagram of a
communications method according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0054] FIG. 4B is a third schematic interaction diagram of a
communications method according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0055] FIG. 5 is a fourth schematic interaction diagram of a
communications method according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0056] FIG. 6A is a fifth schematic interaction diagram of a
communications method according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0057] FIG. 6B is a sixth schematic interaction diagram of a
communications method according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0058] FIG. 7 is a seventh schematic interaction diagram of a
communications method according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0059] FIG. 8 is a first schematic structural diagram of an access
and mobility management network element according to an embodiment
of this application;
[0060] FIG. 9 is a first schematic structural diagram of a session
management network element according to an embodiment of this
application;
[0061] FIG. 10 is a second schematic structural diagram of a
session management network element according to an embodiment of
this application;
[0062] FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal
according to an embodiment of this application;
[0063] FIG. 12 is a second schematic structural diagram of an
access and mobility management network element according to an
embodiment of this application; and
[0064] FIG. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of an apparatus
according to an embodiment of this application.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0065] For ease of understanding of the technical solutions in the
embodiments of this application, brief descriptions of related
technologies in this application are first provided.
[0066] FIG. 1 is a schematic architectural diagram of a
communications system applicable to an embodiment of this
application. The communications system shown in FIG. 1 is described
using a 5G network architecture as an example. This architecture
not only supports a terminal in accessing a PLMN using a 3GPP
access, but also supports the terminal in accessing the PLMN using
a non-3GPP access. The 3GPP access in this embodiment of this
application may be a radio access in a 5G radio access network
(RAN), another future 3GPP access, or the like. This is not limited
in this embodiment of this application. The non-3GPP access in this
embodiment of this application may be a WI-FI access, a Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX), a code-division
multiple access (CDMA) access, another future non-3GPP access, or
the like. This is not limited in this embodiment of this
application.
[0067] As shown in FIG. 1, when accessing the PLMN using the 3GPP
access, the terminal accesses the PLMN through a RAN device, when
accessing the PLMN using the non-3GPP access, the terminal accesses
the PLMN through a non-3GPP access point (untrusted non-3GPP access
point) and a non-3GPP interworking function (N3IWF) device. The
PLMN may include an access and mobility management function (AMF)
network element, a session management function (SMF) network
element, and a user plane function (UPF) network element. The RAN
device or the N3IWF device may access a data network (DN) through
the UPF network element. The AMF network element is responsible for
access and mobility management, and the like. The SMF network
element is responsible for session management and the like. The UPF
network element is responsible for data packet routing and
forwarding, and the like.
[0068] The terminal communicates with the AMF network element
through a next-generation network (N) interface 1 (N1). The RAN
device or the N3IWF device communicates with the AMF network
element through an N2 interface (N2). The RAN device or the N3IWF
device communicates with the UPF network element through an N3
interface (N3). The SMF network element communicates with the UPF
network element through an N4 interface (N4). The AMF network
element communicates with the SMF network element through an N11
interface (N11). It should be noted that names of the interfaces
between the network elements in FIG. 1 are merely examples, and the
interfaces may have other names during specific implementation.
This is not limited in this embodiment of this application.
[0069] In a possible implementation, the RAN device in this
embodiment of this application is a device that accesses the PLMN
using the 3GPP access, for example, may be a base station, a
broadband network gateway (BNG), or an aggregation switch. This is
not limited in this embodiment of this application. The base
station may include base stations in various forms, for example, a
macro base station, a micro base station (also referred to as a
small cell), a relay station, and an access point. This is not
limited in this embodiment of this application.
[0070] In a possible implementation, the N3IWF device in this
embodiment of this application is a device that accesses the PLMN
using the non-3GPP access, and may be an access network device or
may be a core network device, for example, may be a BNG, a
broadband remote access server (BRAS), a fixed network access
gateway, or a wireless local area network (WLAN) access gateway.
This is not limited in this embodiment of this application.
[0071] It should be noted that, communications devices in FIG. 1,
for example, the RAN device, the N3IWF device, the AMF network
element, the SMF network element, and the UPF network element, are
merely names, and the names constitute no limitation to the
devices. In a 5G network and another future network, the RAN
device, the N3IWF device, the AMF network element, the SMF network
element, and the UPF network element may have other names, namely,
network elements having same or similar functions. This is not
limited in this embodiment of this application. In addition, in
this embodiment of this application, the N3IWF device may be
alternatively replaced with a next generation packet data gateway
(NG-PDG), an N3IWF network element, an untrusted non-3GPP access
gateway, a trusted non-3GPP access gateway, a fixed network access
gateway function (AGF), or the like. The AMF network element may be
replaced with an AMF, an AMF entity, or the like. The SMF network
element may be replaced with an SMF, an SMF entity, or the like.
Unified descriptions are provided herein, and details are not
described again below.
[0072] Moreover, the PLMN may further include a unified data
management (UDM) network element, an authentication server function
(AUSF) network element, a policy control function (PCF) network
element, and the like. This is not limited in this embodiment of
this application.
[0073] In a possible implementation, in this embodiment of this
application, the terminal may access different AMF network elements
in a same PLMN using the 3GPP access and the non-3GPP access.
Alternatively, according to an existing mechanism, the terminal may
access a same AMF network element in a same PLMN using the 3GPP
access and the non-3GPP access. Alternatively, the terminal may
access different AMF network elements in different PLMNs using the
3GPP access and the non-3GPP access. This is not limited in this
embodiment of this application.
[0074] The PLMN is allowed to be accessed by the terminal using
both the 3GPP access and the non-3GPP access, and the terminal may
establish PDU sessions respectively based on a 3GPP access network
and a non-3GPP access network, as shown in FIG. 2. A PDU session 1
in FIG. 2 indicates a PDU session that is established by the
terminal based on the 3GPP access network, and a PDU session 2 in
FIG. 2 indicates a PDU session that is established by the terminal
based on the non-3GPP access network.
[0075] The network architecture described in this embodiment of
this application is intended to describe the technical solutions in
the embodiments of this application more clearly, and does not
constitute a limitation to the technical solutions provided in the
embodiments of this application. A person of ordinary skill in the
art may know that with the evolution of the network architecture,
the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this
application are also applicable to similar technical problems. In
addition, names of messages described in the embodiments of this
application constitute no limitation to the messages. Unified
descriptions are provided herein, and details are not described
again below. For example, in a service-oriented architecture, a
message may also be referred to as a service.
[0076] In a possible implementation, the terminal in this
embodiment of this application may include various handheld devices
having a wireless communication function, a vehicle-mounted device,
a wearable device, or a computing device, or other processing
devices connected to a wireless modem. The terminal may further
include a subscriber unit, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a
wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA) computer, a
tablet computer, a wireless modem, a handheld device, a laptop
computer, a cordless phone, or a wireless local loop (WLL) station,
a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a user equipment (UE),
a mobile station (MS), a terminal device, and the like. For ease of
description, the devices mentioned above are collectively referred
to as a terminal in this application.
[0077] The following describes the technical solutions provided in
the embodiments of this application with reference to the
accompanying drawings. Further, an example in which the embodiments
of this application are applied to the system architecture shown in
FIG. 1 is used for description below.
[0078] It should be noted that, an access and mobility management
network element described in the embodiments of this application
may be configured to perform connection management, mobility
management, registration management, access authentication and
authorization, reachability management, security context
management, SMF network element selection, and the like, for
example, may be the AMF network element in FIG. 1. A session
management network element described in the embodiments of this
application may be configured to perform session management and the
like, for example, may be the SMF network element in FIG. 1. A
terminal described in this application may be the terminal in FIG.
1.
[0079] In addition, it should be noted that some or all features in
any quantity of embodiments described in the embodiments of this
application may be combined in case of no conflict, to form a new
embodiment.
[0080] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a communications method
according to an embodiment of this application. The method shown in
FIG. 3 includes the following steps.
[0081] S101: An SMF network element sends a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to an AMF network element, where the
first message includes first information to be sent to a terminal,
and the PDU session is a PDU session that is established based on a
non-3GPP access.
[0082] The PDU session may be any PDU session that is established
by the terminal based on the non-3GPP access. The terminal is
already registered with both the non-3GPP access and a 3GPP
access.
[0083] It may be understood that, if information is classified
based on different destinations to which the information is to be
sent, types of the information may include information to be sent
to the terminal, information to be sent to an access network
device, and the like.
[0084] The first information is a type of information to be sent to
the terminal, and content of the first information is not limited
in this embodiment of this application. Usually, the AMF network
element does not parse the content of the first information. For
example, the first information may be N1 information. The N1
information may also be referred to as N1 type information, and is
information to be sent by a network side (for example, the AMF
network element or the SMF network element) to the terminal through
an N1 interface. Further, the N1 information may be information
generated by the SMF network element and sent to the terminal. In a
possible implementation, the N1 information may include access type
information, used to indicate an access type (for example, the
non-3GPP access) corresponding to the N1 information.
[0085] In a possible implementation, the first message does not
include second information to be sent to the access network
device.
[0086] The second information is a type of information to be sent
to the access network device, and content of the second information
is not limited in this embodiment of this application. For example,
the second information may be N2 information. The N2 information
may also be referred to as N2 type information, and is information
to be sent by the network side (for example, the AMF network
element or the SMF network element) to the access network device
through an N2 interface. Further, the N2 information may be
information generated by the SMF network element and sent to the
access network device. The access network device may perform a
corresponding operation based on the N2 information, for example,
update quality of service (QoS) information, or allocate a resource
to a data flow based on QoS information, or determine whether a
resource can be allocated to a data flow, or reject transmission of
a data flow to which a resource cannot be allocated.
[0087] The first message corresponding to the PDU session is a
message initiated (or triggered) by the SMF network element based
on a PDU session processing procedure. For example, the PDU session
processing procedure may include, but is not limited to a PDU
session authorization/authentication procedure, a PDU session
release procedure, or a PDU session modification procedure.
[0088] For example, the first message may be a service operation
message based on the PDU session. The service operation message for
the PDU session may be an N1N2 signaling transmission message, for
example, an Namf Communication N1N2MessageTransfer message.
[0089] The N1N2 signaling transmission message is used to trigger
the AMF network element to send the N1 information to the terminal,
and/or used by the AMF network element to send the N2 information
to the access network device. The N1N2 signaling transmission
message may include the N1 information and/or the N2 information,
and identifier information of the PDU session. The N1N2 signaling
transmission message may also have another name. This is not
limited in this embodiment of this application.
[0090] For the N1N2 signaling transmission message, refer to a
definition in the 3GPP standard organization.
[0091] It may be understood that, the SMF network element may
generate the N1N2 signaling transmission message in a user
plane-triggered manner or a control plane-triggered manner.
[0092] In an example, if the N1N2 signaling transmission message is
generated by the SMF network element in the user plane-triggered
manner, the N1N2 signaling transmission message includes the N2
information but does not include the N1 information. An application
scenario in which the SMF network element generates the N1N2
signaling transmission message in the user plane-triggered manner
may be as follows: When receiving a data notification message sent
by a UPF network element, the SMF network element generates the
N1N2 signaling transmission message. Further, in this scenario,
when receiving a downlink data packet of the PDU session, the UPF
network element sends the data notification message to the SMF
network element. Therefore, in this scenario, it may be considered
that the N1N2 signaling transmission message is generated by the
SMF network element in a data packet-triggered manner (that is, in
the user plane-triggered manner).
[0093] In an example, if the N1N2 signaling transmission message is
generated by the SMF network element in the control plane-triggered
manner, the N1N2 signaling transmission message includes the N1
information. In a possible implementation, the N1N2 signaling
transmission message further includes the N2 information. An
application scenario in which the SMF network element generates the
N1N2 signaling transmission message in the control plane-triggered
manner may be as follows: When initiating the PDU session
processing procedure, the SMF network element generates the N1N2
signaling transmission message as triggered. The initiating, by the
SMF network element, the PDU session processing procedure includes
initiating, by the SMF network element, the PDU session processing
procedure when receiving a message (for example, a message related
to session management (SM) policy modification and initiated by a
PCF network element) sent by another function network element (for
example, the PCF network element), or triggering, by the SMF
network element, initiation of the PDU session processing
procedure.
[0094] For example, if the PDU session processing procedure is the
PDU session authorization/authentication procedure or the PDU
session release procedure, and a user plane connection of the PDU
session is not activated, the N1N2 signaling transmission message
may include the N1 information but does not include the N2
information.
[0095] For another example, if the PDU session processing procedure
is the PDU session modification procedure or the PDU session
release procedure, and a user plane connection of the PDU session
is in an active state, the N1N2 signaling transmission message may
include the N1 information and the N2 information.
[0096] It can be learned from the foregoing descriptions that the
first message includes the first information, indicating that the
first message is triggered by a control plane. In a possible
implementation, the first message further includes the identifier
information of the PDU session. In another possible implementation,
the first message further includes the access type (which is the
non-3GPP access) information of the PDU session, and the like. In
another possible implementation, the first message further includes
a message type. For example, when the first message includes the
first information, the message type may include an N1 type. When
the first message includes the second information, the message type
may include an N2 type. When the first message includes the first
information and the second information, the message type may
include an N1 type and an N2 type.
[0097] S102: After receiving the first message, the AMF network
element sends the first information to the terminal using the 3GPP
access.
[0098] In a possible implementation, after receiving the first
message, if determining that the terminal is in an idle state in
the non-3GPP access, the AMF network element sends the first
information to the terminal using the 3GPP access. Certainly, this
embodiment of this application also supports the following
technical solution. After receiving the first message, if
determining that the terminal is in a connected state in the
non-3GPP access, the AMF network element sends the first
information to the terminal using the 3GPP access.
[0099] In an example, the first information may be carried in a
non-access stratum (NAS) message to be sent by the AMF network
element to the terminal. Certainly, this embodiment of this
application is not limited thereto.
[0100] This embodiment of this application provides a processing
procedure used when the AMF network element receives the message
sent by the SMF network element and including the first information
to be sent to the terminal, and the message is a message
corresponding to the PDU session that is established based on the
non-3GPP access, and further, the first information is sent to the
terminal using the 3GPP access. In this way, even if the terminal
is in the idle state in the non-3GPP access, this embodiment of
this application provides a solution for the AMF network element to
send information related to the non-3GPP access to the
terminal.
[0101] In a possible implementation, after S101 and before S102,
the method further includes after receiving the first message, if
determining that the terminal is in the idle state in the non-3GPP
access, sending, by the AMF network element, a paging message or a
notification message to the terminal using the 3GPP access such
that the terminal initiates a service request process. The service
request process is used to activate a user plane resource for the
PDU session or establish a signaling connection for the PDU session
such that the AMF network element sends information to the
terminal, for example, performs S102.
[0102] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
after receiving the first message, rejecting, by the AMF network
element, activation of a user plane of the PDU session. This is
proposed in consideration that "the first message corresponding to
the PDU session includes the first information, and the first
information is information to be sent to the terminal and is
unrelated to an access network such that the user plane of the PDU
session may be not activated". In this way, resource overheads
caused by the activation of the user plane of the PDU session can
be reduced.
[0103] Further, after determining that the first message includes
the first information, and the first message is a message
corresponding to the PDU session that is established based on the
non-3GPP access, the AMF network element rejects the activation of
the user plane of the PDU session. The AMF network element may
determine whether information included in the first message is the
first information or the second information or the first
information and the second information and may determine whether
the first message is a message corresponding to the PDU session
that is established based on the non-3GPP access using known
approaches. For example, the AMF network element may determine,
based on the message type included in the first message, the
information included in the first message. Further, if the message
type included in the first message is the N1 type, the AMF network
element determines that the first message includes the first
information, if the message type included in the first message is
the N2 type, the AMF network element determines that the first
message includes the second information, if the message type
included in the first message is the N1 type and the N2 type, the
AMF network element determines that the first message includes the
first information and the second information.
[0104] It should be noted that, during specific implementation,
this embodiment of this application also supports the following
technical solutions The AMF network element activates the user
plane of the PDU session after receiving the first message. For
example, if the first message carries instruction information used
to instruct to activate the user plane of the PDU session, the AMF
network element may activate the user plane of the PDU session
based on the instruction information. The activation of the user
plane of the PDU session refers to a procedure for initiating
activation of the PDU session. A procedure for activating the PDU
session may be implemented through signaling exchange between
network element such as the AMF network element and the SMF network
element.
[0105] The AMF network element may reject the activation of the
user plane of the PDU session in one of the following manners.
[0106] Manner 1: The AMF network element sends a third message to
the SMF network element, where the third message is used to notify
the SMF network element that the user plane of the PDU session is
not activated. Further, the third message is used to notify the SMF
network element that the AMF network element does not activate
(rejects) the user plane of the PDU session. For example, the third
message may be a PDU session update context request
(Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request) message, and the message
includes information indicating that a user plane resource is not
to be established, for example, DEACTIVED.
[0107] Manner 2: The AMF network element rejects sending of a
message to the SMF network element. That the AMF network element
rejects sending of a message to the SMF network element may be
understood as that the AMF network element skips sending a message
to the SMF network element, where the message may be a PDU session
update context request message.
[0108] Manner 3: The AMF network element sends a fourth message to
the SMF network element, where the fourth message is used to notify
the SMF network element that the user plane of the PDU session
cannot be activated. Further, the fourth message is used to notify
the SMF network element that the AMF network element cannot
activate the user plane of the PDU session, or the SMF network
element cannot activate the user plane of the PDU session.
[0109] In a possible implementation, the method may further include
sending, by the AMF network element, access type (which is the
non-3GPP access) information corresponding to the first information
and/or access type (which is the non-3GPP access) information of
the PDU session to the terminal using the 3GPP access. That is,
this embodiment of this application supports the AMF network
element in sending non-3GPP access type information to the terminal
using the 3GPP access.
[0110] In this embodiment of this application, a message that is
used to carry the access type information corresponding to the
first information and/or the access type information of the PDU
session and that is to be sent by the AMF network element to the
terminal is not limited. For example, the access type information
corresponding to the first information and/or the access type
information of the PDU session may be carried in a service accept
message to be sent by the AMF network element to the terminal. In
addition, if the AMF network element sends the access type
information corresponding to the first information and the access
type information of the PDU session to the terminal, the access
type information corresponding to the first information and the
access type information of the PDU session may be carried in a same
message, or may be carried in different messages. This is not
limited in this embodiment of this application.
[0111] Embodiments shown in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are described below
using the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 as an example. Therefore, for
explanations of related content thereof, refer to explanations of
the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 above. Details are not described
below again.
[0112] FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of a communications method
according to an embodiment of this application. The method shown in
FIG. 4A includes the following steps.
[0113] S201: An SMF network element sends a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to an AMF network element, where the
first message includes first information and first instruction
information, the first instruction information is used to instruct
not to activate a user plane of the PDU session, and the PDU
session is a PDU session that is established based on a non-3GPP
access.
[0114] S202: If a terminal is in an idle state in the non-3GPP
access, the AMF network element sends a paging message or a
notification message to the terminal using a 3GPP access.
[0115] Further, if the terminal is in the idle state in the 3GPP
access, the AMF network element sends the paging message to the
terminal using the 3GPP access. If the terminal is in a connected
state in the 3GPP access, the AMF network element sends the
notification message to the terminal using the 3GPP access. The
paging message and the notification message are both used by the
terminal to initiate a service request process, that is, are both
used by the terminal to send a service request message to the AMF
network element. The service request message is used to activate a
user plane resource for the PDU session or establish a signaling
connection for the PDU session.
[0116] S203: After receiving the paging message or the notification
message, the terminal sends the service request message to the AMF
network element.
[0117] S204: The AMF network element sends a service accept message
to the terminal.
[0118] In a possible implementation, the service accept message
includes access type (which is the non-3GPP access) information
corresponding to the first information and/or access type (which is
the non-3GPP access) information of the PDU session.
[0119] S205: The AMF network element sends the first information to
the terminal using the 3GPP access. For example, the first
information is carried in a NAS message.
[0120] In a possible implementation, the first information may be
included in the service accept message in S204 to be sent by the
AMF network element to the terminal.
[0121] S206: The AMF network element rejects activation of the user
plane of the PDU session based on the first instruction
information.
[0122] When S206 is performed, the terminal may be in the idle
state or the connected state in the non-3GPP access. This is not
limited in this embodiment of this application. S206 may be
considered as a specific implementation of rejecting, by the AMF
network element, the activation of the user plane of the PDU
session.
[0123] A sequence of performing S202 to S205 and S206 is not
limited in this embodiment of this application. For example, S202
to S205 may be performed before S206, or S206 may be performed
before S202 to S205, or S206 may be performed in a process of
performing S202 to S205.
[0124] FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of a communications method
according to an embodiment of this application. The method shown in
FIG. 4B includes the following steps.
[0125] S301: An SMF network element sends a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to an AMF network element, where the
first message includes first information, and the PDU session is a
PDU session that is established based on a non-3GPP access.
[0126] S302: If a terminal is in an idle state in the non-3GPP
access, the AMF network element sends a paging message or a
notification message to the terminal using a 3GPP access.
[0127] S303: After receiving the paging message or the notification
message, the terminal sends a service request message to the AMF
network element, where the service request message includes second
instruction information, and the second instruction information is
used to instruct not to activate a user plane of the PDU
session.
[0128] That the terminal sends a service request message to the AMF
network element is a specific implementation of sending, by the
terminal, a second message to the AMF network element. The second
message includes the second instruction information, and the second
instruction information is used to instruct not to activate the
user plane of the PDU session. That is, a specific implementation
of the second message may be the service request message.
Certainly, this embodiment of this application is not limited
thereto. For example, the second message may alternatively be a
message independent of the service request message.
[0129] The second instruction information may explicitly or
implicitly instruct not to activate the user plane of the PDU
session. For example, when an implicit manner is used, the second
instruction information includes one of the following manners A to
C.
[0130] Manner A: The second message does not include a set of PDU
sessions allowed by the terminal.
[0131] Manner B: The second message includes a set of PDU sessions
allowed by the terminal, and the set of PDU sessions allowed by the
terminal is empty.
[0132] Manner C: The second message includes a set of PDU sessions
allowed by the terminal, and the set of PDU sessions allowed by the
terminal does not include identifier information of the PDU
session.
[0133] During specific implementation, a specific one of the
manners A to C that is included in the second instruction
information may be predefined, for example, predetermined in a
protocol. Certainly, this embodiment of this application is not
limited thereto.
[0134] The set of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal is a set
including PDU sessions that are established by the terminal using
the non-3GPP access and that are allowed by the terminal to be
migrated to the 3GPP access. The set of PDU sessions allowed by the
terminal may include identifier information of one or more PDU
sessions. In an example, the set of PDU sessions allowed by the
terminal may be transmitted in a form of a list. In this case, the
set of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal may also be referred to
as a list of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal (the list of
allowed PDU session(s)).
[0135] In an implementation, the paging message or the notification
message includes third indication information, and the third
indication information is used by the terminal to determine the
second instruction information. In this case, after receiving the
paging message or the notification message, the terminal may
determine, based on the third indication information, that the
second message includes the second instruction information.
Alternatively, the third indication information may not be carried
in the paging message or the notification message, but is carried
in another message to be sent by the AMF network element to the
terminal.
[0136] In another implementation, the terminal does not receive the
third indication information, for example, the paging message or
the notification message does not include the third indication
information. In this case, after receiving the paging message or
the notification message, the terminal determines that the second
message includes the second instruction information. For example,
when the paging message or the notification message is a message
corresponding to the PDU session that is established based on the
non-3GPP access, it is determined that the second message includes
the second instruction information. In an example, the paging
message or the notification message may include the identifier
information of the PDU session.
[0137] In an example, the second message may be the service request
message. Certainly, this embodiment of this application is not
limited thereto. For example, the second message may alternatively
be a message independent of the service request message. It may be
understood that, if the second message is not the service request
message, the method may further include sending, by the terminal,
the service request message to the AMF network element, and after
receiving the service request message, returning, by the AMF
network element, a service accept message to the terminal.
[0138] S304: The AMF network element sends the service accept
message to the terminal.
[0139] In a possible implementation, the service accept message
includes information (which is the non-3GPP access) corresponding
to the first information and/or access type (which is the non-3GPP
access) information of the PDU session.
[0140] S305: The AMF network element sends the first information to
the terminal using the 3GPP access.
[0141] S306: The AMF network element rejects the activation of the
user plane of the PDU session based on the second instruction
information.
[0142] When S306 is performed, the terminal may be in the idle
state or a connected state in the non-3GPP access. This is not
limited in this embodiment of this application. S306 may be
considered as a specific implementation of rejecting, by the AMF
network element, the activation of the user plane of the PDU
session.
[0143] A sequence of performing S304 and S305 and S306 is not
limited in this embodiment of this application. For example, S304
and S305 may be performed before S306, or S306 may be performed
before S304 and S305, or S306 may be performed in a process of
performing S304 and S305.
[0144] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a communications method
according to an embodiment of this application. The method shown in
FIG. 5 includes the following steps.
[0145] S401: An SMF network element sends a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to an AMF network element, where the
first message includes first information, and the PDU session is a
PDU session that is established based on a non-3GPP access.
[0146] For descriptions of related terms and implementations in
S401, refer to foregoing descriptions of related terms and
implementations in S101.
[0147] S402: The SMF network element rejects activation of a user
plane of the PDU session.
[0148] In a possible implementation, when the first message
corresponding to the PDU session includes the first information,
and the PDU session is a PDU session that is established based on
the non-3GPP access, the SMF network element rejects the activation
of the user plane of the PDU session. A sequence of performing S401
and S402 is not limited in this embodiment of this application. For
example, S401 may be performed before S402, or S402 may be
performed before S401, or S401 and S402 may be performed
simultaneously.
[0149] In a possible implementation, the rejecting, by the SMF
network element, activation of a user plane of the PDU session may
include sending, by the SMF network element, a fifth message to the
AMF network element, where the fifth message is used to notify the
AMF network element that the user plane of the PDU session is not
activated.
[0150] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
sending, by the SMF network element to the AMF network element,
information about a reason why the user plane of the PDU session is
not activated. For example, the information about the reason may
include N1 information. That is, the reason why the user plane of
the PDU session is not activated is that the first message carries
information to be sent to the terminal. It should be noted that, if
the information included in the first message is information to be
sent to an access network device, the SMF network element may
activate the user plane of the PDU session, to be specific,
initiate a procedure for activating the user plane of the PDU
session. Certainly, the activation of the user plane of the PDU
session may alternatively be rejected.
[0151] This embodiment of this application provides a processing
procedure used when the first message corresponding to the PDU
session from the SMF network element to the AMF network element
includes the first information, and the PDU session is a PDU
session that is established based on the non-3GPP access, and the
activation of the user plane of the PDU session is rejected. This
is proposed in consideration that "the first message corresponding
to the PDU session includes the first information, indicating that
the first information is triggered by a control plane such that
data does not need to be transmitted using the PDU session, and the
user plane of the PDU session may be not activated". In this way,
resource overheads caused by the activation of the user plane of
the PDU session can be reduced.
[0152] Embodiments shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are described as an
example based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, for
explanations of related content thereof, refer to explanations of
the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 above. Details are not described
below again.
[0153] FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a communications method
according to an embodiment of this application. The method shown in
FIG. 6A includes the following steps.
[0154] S501: An SMF network element sends a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to an AMF network element, where the
first message includes first information, and the PDU session is a
PDU session that is established based on a non-3GPP access.
[0155] S502: If a terminal is in an idle state in the non-3GPP
access, the AMF network element sends a paging message or a
notification message to the terminal using a 3GPP access.
[0156] S503: After receiving the paging message or the notification
message, the terminal sends a service request message to the AMF
network element.
[0157] S504: The AMF network element sends a service accept message
to the terminal.
[0158] S505: The AMF network element sends the first information to
the terminal. In a possible implementation, the AMF network element
may further send access type information corresponding to the first
information and/or access type information of the PDU session to
the terminal.
[0159] S506: The SMF network element rejects activation of a user
plane of the PDU session based on the first information. S506 may
be considered as a specific implementation of S402.
[0160] A sequence of performing S503 to S505 and S506 is not
limited in this embodiment of this application. For example, S503
to S505 may be performed before S506, or S506 may be performed
before S503 to S505, or S506 may be performed in a process of
performing S503 to S505.
[0161] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
sending, by the SMF network element to the AMF network element,
information about a reason why the user plane of the PDU session is
not activated.
[0162] FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a communications method
according to an embodiment of this application. The method shown in
FIG. 6B includes the following steps.
[0163] S601 to S605: Refer to S501 to S505 above. Certainly, this
embodiment of this application is not limited thereto.
[0164] S606: The AMF network element sends fourth indication
information to the SMF network element, where the fourth indication
information is used to indicate at least one of the terminal is in
an idle state in the non-3GPP access, the terminal is unreachable
in the non-3GPP access, access type information corresponding to
the first information, or a signaling connection is to be
established and no user plane connection is to be established.
[0165] That the terminal is in an idle state in the non-3GPP access
means that the terminal is in the idle state in the non-3GPP access
when sending the paging message or the notification message in
S602.
[0166] That the terminal is unreachable in the non-3GPP access may
be understood as that the AMF network element cannot establish a
connection to the terminal in the non-3GPP access.
[0167] Access type information corresponding to N1 information is
used to indicate an access type (which is the non-3GPP access)
corresponding to the Ni information.
[0168] That a signaling connection is to be established and no user
plane connection is to be established may be include sending the
first information to the terminal, and so on.
[0169] S607: The SMF network element rejects activation of the user
plane of the PDU session based on the fourth indication
information. S606 may be considered as a specific implementation of
S402.
[0170] A sequence of performing S603 to S605 and S606 and S607 is
not limited in this embodiment of this application. For example,
S603 to S605 may be performed before S606 and S607, or S606 and
S607 may be performed before S603 to S605, or some or all of S606
and S607 may be performed in a process of performing S603 to S605,
or some or all of S603 to S605 may be performed in a process of
performing S606 and S607.
[0171] In a possible implementation, the method further includes
sending, by the SMF network element to the AMF network element,
information about a reason why the user plane of the PDU session is
not activated.
[0172] It should be noted that, any one of the foregoing
embodiments is also applicable to a scenario in which the first
message further includes second information to be sent to an access
network device.
[0173] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a communications method
according to an embodiment of this application. For explanations of
related content in this embodiment, refer to the foregoing
descriptions. The method shown in FIG. 7 includes the following
steps.
[0174] S701: An SMF network element sends a first message
corresponding to a PDU session to an AMF network element, where the
first message includes first information to be sent to a terminal,
and the PDU session is a PDU session that is established based on a
non-3GPP access.
[0175] For descriptions of related terms and implementations in
S701, refer to foregoing descriptions of related terms and
implementations in S101.
[0176] S702: When the terminal is in an idle state in the non-3GPP
access, the AMF network element stores the first information.
[0177] S703: When the terminal is in a connected state in the
non-3GPP access, the AMF network element sends the first
information to the terminal using the non-3GPP access, when the PDU
session is migrated to a 3GPP access, the AMF network element sends
the first information to the terminal using the 3GPP access.
[0178] It should be noted that, if the PDU session is migrated to
the 3GPP access, the AMF network element may send a session update
context message to the SMF network element, to instruct the SMF
network element to update an access type of the PDU session from
the non-3GPP access to the 3GPP access.
[0179] In a possible implementation, the first message further
includes second information to be sent to an access network device.
In this case, S702 may be replaced with the following: the AMF
network element stores the first information and the second
information. The method may further include when the terminal is in
the connected state in the non-3GPP access, sending, by the AMF
network element, the second information to the access network
device using the non-3GPP access, or when the PDU session is
migrated to the 3GPP access, sending, by the AMF network element,
the second information to the access network device using the 3GPP
access.
[0180] In this embodiment, when the terminal is in the idle state
in the non-3GPP access, the AMF network element may not send a
paging message or a notification message to the terminal, but store
the first information. In this way, signaling overheads caused by
sending of the paging message or the notification message can be
reduced.
[0181] The solutions provided in the embodiments of this
application are described above mainly from a perspective of
interaction between the different network elements. It may be
understood that, to implement the foregoing functions, the access
and mobility management network element, the session management
network element, the terminal, and the like include corresponding
hardware structures and/or software modules for performing the
functions. With reference to the units and algorithm steps
described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the
embodiments of this application can be implemented in a form of
hardware or hardware and computer software. Whether a function is
performed by hardware or hardware driven by computer software
depends on particular applications and design constraints of the
technical solutions. A person skilled in the art may use different
methods to implement the described functions for each particular
application, but it should not be considered that the
implementation falls beyond the scope of the technical solutions in
the embodiments of this application.
[0182] In the embodiments of this application, division into
functional units may be performed on the access and mobility
management network element, the session management network element,
the terminal, and the like based on the foregoing method examples.
For example, the functional units may be obtained through division
based on corresponding functions, or at least two functions may be
integrated into one processing unit. The integrated unit may be
implemented in a form of hardware, or may be implemented in a form
of a software functional unit. It should be noted that, in this
embodiment of this application, unit division is an example, and is
merely a logical function division. During actual implementation,
another division manner may be used.
[0183] FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of an access and
mobility management network element 800 according to an embodiment
of this application. The mobility management network element 800
may be configured to perform the steps performed by the AMF network
element in FIG. 3, FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6B. The
access and mobility management network element 800 includes a
receiving unit 801 and a sending unit 802. The receiving unit 801
is configured to receive a first message corresponding to a PDU
session from a session management network element, where the first
message includes first information to be sent to a terminal, and
the PDU session is a PDU session that is established based on a
non-3GPP access. The sending unit 802 is configured to send the
first information to the terminal using a 3GPP access. For example,
with reference to FIG. 3, the receiving unit 801 may be configured
to perform a receiving step corresponding to S101. The sending unit
802 may be configured to perform S102.
[0184] In a possible implementation, the access and mobility
management network element 800 further includes a processing unit
803. The processing unit 803 is configured to reject activation of
a user plane of the PDU session. For example, with reference to
FIG. 4A, the processing unit 803 may be configured to perform S206.
For example, with reference to FIG. 4B, the processing unit 803 may
be configured to perform S306.
[0185] In a possible implementation, the first message further
includes first instruction information, and the first instruction
information is used to instruct not to activate the user plane of
the PDU session, and the processing unit 803 is configured to
reject the activation of the user plane of the PDU session based on
the first instruction information. For example, with reference to
FIG. 4A, the processing unit 803 may be configured to perform
S206.
[0186] In a possible implementation, the sending unit 802 is
further configured to if the terminal is in an idle state in the
non-3GPP access, send a paging message or a notification message to
the terminal using the 3GPP access, the receiving unit 801 is
further configured to receive a second message from the terminal,
where the second message includes second instruction information,
and the second instruction information is used to instruct not to
activate the user plane of the PDU session, and t the processing
unit 803 is further configured to reject the activation of the user
plane of the PDU session based on the second instruction
information. For example, with reference to FIG. 4B, the sending
unit 802 may be configured to perform S302, the receiving unit 801
may be configured to perform a receiving step corresponding to
S303, and the processing unit 803 is configured to perform
S306.
[0187] In a possible implementation, the second instruction
information includes the second message does not include a set of
PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, or the second message
includes a set of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, and the set
of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal is empty. The set of PDU
sessions allowed by the terminal is a set of PDU sessions that are
established by the terminal using the non-3GPP access and that are
allowed by the terminal to be migrated to the 3GPP access.
[0188] In a possible implementation, the paging message or the
notification message includes third indication information, and the
third indication information is used by the terminal to determine
the second instruction information.
[0189] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 803 is
further configured to send a third message to the session
management network element, where the third message is used to
notify the session management network element that the user plane
of the PDU session is not activated, or reject sending a message to
the session management network element, or send a fourth message to
the session management network element, where the fourth message is
used to notify the session management network element that the user
plane of the PDU session cannot be activated.
[0190] In a possible implementation, the receiving unit 801 is
further configured to receive a fifth message from the session
management network element, where the fifth message is used to
notify the access and mobility management network element that the
user plane of the PDU session is not activated.
[0191] In a possible implementation, the sending unit 802 is
further configured to send fourth indication information to the
session management network element, where the fourth indication
information is used to indicate at least one of the terminal is in
the idle state in the non-3GPP access, the terminal is unreachable
in the non-3GPP access, access type information corresponding to
the first information, or a signaling connection is to be
established and no user plane connection is to be established, and
the fourth indication information is used by the session management
network element to determine the fifth message. For example, with
reference to FIG. 6B, the sending unit 802 may be configured to
perform S603.
[0192] In a possible implementation, the sending unit 802 is
further configured to receive, from the session management network
element, information about a reason why the user plane of the PDU
session is not activated. For example, the information about the
reason includes the first information.
[0193] In a possible implementation, the sending unit 802 is
further configured to send access type information corresponding to
the first information to the terminal using the 3GPP access.
[0194] In a possible implementation, the first message does not
include second information to be sent to an access network
device.
[0195] In a possible implementation, the access and mobility
management network element further includes the processing unit 803
configured to determine that the terminal is already registered
with both the 3GPP access and the non-3GPP access.
[0196] In a possible implementation, the first message is a service
operation message based on the PDU session.
[0197] FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a session
management network element 900 according to an embodiment of this
application. The session management network element 900 may be
configured to perform the steps performed by the SMF network
element in FIG. 5, FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6B. The session management
network element 900 includes a sending unit 901 and a processing
unit 902. The sending unit 901 is configured to send a first
message corresponding to a PDU session to an access and mobility
management network element, where the first message includes first
information to be sent to a terminal, and the PDU session is a PDU
session that is established based on a non-3GPP access. The
processing unit 902 is configured to reject activation of a user
plane of the PDU session. For example, with reference to FIG. 5,
the sending unit 901 may be configured to perform S404, and the
processing unit 902 may be configured to perform S402. For example,
with reference to FIG. 6A, the sending unit 901 may be configured
to perform S501, and the processing unit 902 may be configured to
perform S506. For example, with reference to FIG. 6B, the sending
unit 901 may be configured to perform S601, and the processing unit
902 may be configured to perform S607.
[0198] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 902 is
configured to reject the activation of the user plane of the PDU
session based on the first information. For example, with reference
to FIG. 6A, the processing unit 902 may be configured to perform
S506.
[0199] In a possible implementation, the session management network
element 900 further includes a receiving unit 903 configured to
receive fourth indication information from the access and mobility
management network element, where the fourth indication information
is used to indicate at least one of the terminal is in an idle
state in the non-3GPP access, the terminal is unreachable in the
non-3GPP access, access type information corresponding to the first
information, or a signaling connection is to be established and no
user plane connection is to be established, and the processing unit
902 is further configured to reject the activation of the user
plane of the PDU session based on the fourth indication
information. For example, with reference to FIG. 6B, the receiving
unit 903 may be configured to perform a receiving step
corresponding to S606.
[0200] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 902 is
further configured to send a fifth message to the access and
mobility management network element, where the fifth message is
used to notify the access and mobility management network element
that the user plane of the PDU session is not activated.
[0201] In a possible implementation, the sending unit 901 is
further configured to send, to the access and mobility management
network element, information about a reason why the activation of
the user plane of the PDU session is rejected. For example, the
information about the reason includes the first information.
[0202] In a possible implementation, the first message does not
include second information to be sent to an access network
device.
[0203] In a possible implementation, the first message is a service
operation message based on the PDU session.
[0204] FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a session
management network element 1000 according to an embodiment of this
application. The session management network element 1000 may be
configured to perform the steps performed by the SMF network
element in FIG. 3, FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4B. The session management
network element 1000 includes a sending unit 1001 and a receiving
unit 1002. The sending unit 1001 is configured to send a first
message corresponding to a PDU session to an access and mobility
management network element, where the first message includes first
information to be sent to a terminal, and the PDU session is a PDU
session that is established based on a non-3GPP access. The
receiving unit 1002 is configured to receive a third message or a
fourth message from the access and mobility management network
element, where the third message is used to notify the session
management network element that a user plane of the PDU session is
not activated, and the fourth message is used to notify the session
management network element that the user plane of the PDU session
cannot be activated. For example, with reference to FIG. 3, FIG.
4A, or FIG. 4B, the sending unit 1001 may be configured to perform
S101, S201, or S301. The receiving unit 1002 may be configured to
perform a receiving step corresponding to sending, by the access
and mobility management network element, the third message or the
fourth message above.
[0205] In a possible implementation, the first message does not
include second information to be sent to an access network
device.
[0206] In a possible implementation, the first message is a service
operation message based on the PDU session.
[0207] FIG. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal 1100
according to an embodiment of this application. The terminal 1100
may be configured to perform the steps performed by the terminal in
FIG. 4B. The terminal 1100 includes a receiving unit 1101 and a
sending unit 1102. The receiving unit 1101 is configured to when
the terminal is in an idle state in a non-3GPP access, receive a
paging message or a notification message from an access and
mobility management network element using a 3GPP access. The
sending unit 1102 is configured to send a second message to the
access and mobility management network element using the 3GPP
access, where the second message includes second instruction
information, and the second instruction information is used to
instruct not to activate a user plane of a PDU session, and the PDU
session is a PDU session that is established based on the non-3GPP
access. For example, with reference to FIG. 4B, the receiving unit
1101 may be configured to perform a receiving step corresponding to
S302, and the sending unit 1102 may be configured to perform
S303.
[0208] In a possible implementation, the second instruction
information includes the second message does not include a set of
PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, or the second message
includes a set of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal, and the set
of PDU sessions allowed by the terminal is empty. The set of PDU
sessions allowed by the terminal is a set of PDU sessions that are
established by the terminal using the non-3GPP access and that are
allowed by the terminal to be migrated to the 3GPP access.
[0209] In a possible implementation, the paging message or the
notification message includes third indication information, and the
terminal 1100 further includes a processing unit 1103 configured to
determine the second instruction information based on the third
indication information.
[0210] In a possible implementation, the receiving unit 1101 is
further configured to receive access type information corresponding
to the first information from the access and mobility management
network element using the 3GPP access.
[0211] In a possible implementation, the terminal is already
registered with both the 3GPP access and the non-3GPP access.
[0212] FIG. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of an access and
mobility management network element 1200 according to an embodiment
of this application. The access and mobility management network
element 1200 may be configured to perform the steps performed by
the AMF network element in FIG. 7. The access and mobility
management network element 1200 includes a receiving unit 1201, a
storage unit 1202, and a sending unit 1203. The receiving unit 1201
is configured to receive a first message corresponding to a PDU
session from a session management network element, where the first
message includes first information to be sent to a terminal, and
the PDU session is a PDU session that is established based on a
non-3GPP access. The storage unit 1202 is configured to when the
terminal is in an idle state in the non-3GPP access, store the
first information. The sending unit 1203 is configured to when the
terminal is in a connected state in the non-3GPP access, send the
first information to the terminal using the non-3GPP access, or
when the PDU session is migrated to a 3GPP access, send the first
information to the terminal using the 3GPP access. For example,
with reference to FIG. 7, the receiving unit 1201 may be configured
to perform a receiving step in S701, the storage unit 1202 may be
configured to perform S702, and the sending unit 1203 may be
configured to perform S703.
[0213] In a possible implementation, the first message further
includes second information to be sent to an access network
device.
[0214] For explanations, specific implementations, beneficial
effects, and the like of related content of any one of the
apparatuses (including the access and mobility management network
element 800, the session management network element 900, the
session management network element 1000, the terminal 1100, and the
access and mobility management network element 1200) described
above, refer to the method embodiments provided above. Details are
not described herein again.
[0215] For explanations, specific implementations, beneficial
effects, and the like of related content of any one of the
apparatuses (including the access and mobility management network
element 800, the session management network element 900, the
session management network element 1000, the terminal 1100, and the
access and mobility management network element 1200) described
above, refer to the method embodiments provided above. Details are
not described herein again.
[0216] Any one of the foregoing processing units (for example, the
processing unit 803, the processing unit 902, or the processing
unit 1103) may be a processor or a controller. The processor or
controller may implement or execute various example logical blocks,
units, and circuits described with reference to content disclosed
in this application. The receiving unit and the sending unit may be
a transceiver. During specific implementation, the transceiver may
include one or more interfaces. The storage unit may be a memory.
When the processing unit is a processor, the receiving unit and the
sending unit are a transceiver, and the storage unit is a memory,
the apparatus (for example, the access and mobility management
network element 800, the session management network element 900,
the session management network element 1000, the terminal 1100, or
the access and mobility management network element 1200) in this
embodiment of this application may be an apparatus 1300 shown in
FIG. 13.
[0217] As shown in FIG. 13, the apparatus 1300 includes a processor
1302 and a transceiver 1303. Further, the apparatus 1300 may
further include a memory 1301. In a possible implementation, the
apparatus 1300 may further include a bus 1304. The transceiver
1303, the processor 1302, and the memory 1301 may be connected to
each other using the bus 1304. The bus 1304 may be a peripheral
component interconnect (PCI) bus, an Extended Industry Standard
Architecture (EISA) bus, or the like. The bus 1304 may be
classified into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the
like. For ease of representation, only one thick line is used to
represent the bus in FIG. 13, but this does not mean that there is
only one bus or only one type of bus. For example, the apparatus
1300 may be the AMF network element, the SMF network element, or
the terminal in the embodiments of this application.
[0218] The processor 1302 may perform various functions of the
apparatus 1300 by running or executing a program stored in the
memory 1301. For example, when the apparatus 1300 is the access and
mobility management network element, the processor 1302 may
perform, by running or executing the program stored in the memory
1301, an action completed by the AMF network element in the
foregoing method embodiments. When the apparatus 1300 is the
session management network element, the processor 1302 may perform,
by running or executing the program stored in the memory 1301, an
action completed by the SMF network element in the foregoing method
embodiments. When the apparatus 1300 is the session management
network element, the processor 1302 may perform, by running or
executing the program stored in the memory 1301, an action
completed by the terminal in the foregoing method embodiments.
[0219] The foregoing method embodiments of this application may be
applied to the processor 1302, or the processor 1302 implements the
steps of the foregoing method embodiments. The processor 1302 may
be an integrated circuit chip and has a signal processing
capability. In an implementation process, the steps of the
foregoing method embodiments can be implemented using a hardware
integrated logical circuit in the processor, or using instructions
in a form of software.
[0220] The processor 1302 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a
network processor (NP), or a combination of a CPU and an NP, a
digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated
circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or another
programmable logic device, a discrete gate or a transistor logic
device, or a discrete hardware component. It may implement or
perform the methods, the steps, and the logical block diagrams that
are disclosed in this application. The general-purpose processor
may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any conventional
processor or the like. The steps of the methods disclosed in this
application may be directly executed and completed using a hardware
decoding processor, or may be executed and completed using a
combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding
processor. A software module may be located in a mature storage
medium in the art, such as a random access memory, a flash memory,
a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory, an
electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, or the like.
The storage medium is located in the memory, and the processor
reads information in the memory and completes the steps of the
foregoing methods in combination with hardware of the processor.
Although only one processor is shown in the figure, the apparatus
may include a plurality of processors, or the processor includes a
plurality of processing units. Further, the processor may be a
single-core (single-CPU) processor, or may be a multi-core
(multi-CPU) processor.
[0221] The memory 1301 is configured to store a computer
instruction executed by the processor 1302. The memory 1301 may be
a storage circuit or a memory. The memory 1301 may be a volatile
memory or a nonvolatile memory, or may include a volatile memory
and a nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory may be a read-only
memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM),
an electrically EPROM (EEPROM), or a flash memory. The volatile
memory may be a random-access memory (RAM), used as an external
cache. The memory may be independent of the processor, or may be a
storage unit in the processor. This is not limited herein. Although
only one memory is shown in the figure, the apparatus may
alternatively include a plurality of memories, or the memory
includes a plurality of storage units.
[0222] The transceiver 1303 is configured to implement content
exchange between the processor 1302 and another unit or network
element. Further, the transceiver 1303 may be a communications
interface of the apparatus, or may be a transceiver circuit or a
communications unit, or may be a transceiver. The transceiver 1303
may alternatively be a communications interface or a transceiver
circuit of the processor 1302. Optionally, the transceiver 1303 may
be a transceiver chip. The transceiver 1303 may further include a
sending unit and/or a receiving unit. In a possible implementation,
the transceiver may include at least one communications interface.
In another possible implementation, the transceiver may
alternatively be a unit implemented in a form of software. In the
embodiments of this application, the processor may interact with
another unit or network element through the transceiver. For
example, the processor obtains or receives content from another
network element through the transceiver. If the processor and the
transceiver are two physically separated components, the processor
may exchange content with another unit in the apparatus without
using the transceiver.
[0223] In any one of the apparatuses provided in FIG. 8 to FIG. 13
of this application, components in the apparatus are connected
using a communications bus, to be specific, the processing unit (or
the processor), the storage unit (or the memory), and the
transceiver unit (the transceiver) communicate with each other
using an internal connection path, to transfer a control and/or
data signal.
[0224] An embodiment of this application further provides a
communications system. The communications system may include an
access and mobility management network element, a session
management network element, and a terminal. In an implementation,
the access and mobility management network element may be
configured to perform the steps performed by the AMF network
element in FIG. 3, and/or other steps described in the embodiments
of this application. The session management network element may be
configured to perform the steps performed by the SMF network
element in FIG. 3, and/or other steps described in the embodiments
of this application. The terminal may be configured to perform the
steps performed by the terminal in FIG. 3, and/or other steps
described in the embodiments of this application. In this
implementation, "FIG. 3" may be replaced with FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B,
FIG. 5, FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, or FIG. 7.
[0225] For explanations, specific implementations, beneficial
effects, and the like of related content in the communications
system provided above, refer to the corresponding method
embodiments above. Details are not described herein again.
[0226] It should be noted that, the access and mobility management
network element above may alternatively be a chip or a system on
chip on the access and mobility management network element.
Similarly, the session management network element above may
alternatively be a chip or a system on chip on the session
management network element. The terminal above may alternatively be
a chip or a system on chip on the terminal.
[0227] Methods or algorithm steps described in combination with the
content disclosed in the embodiments of this application may be
implemented by hardware, or may be implemented by a processor by
executing a software instruction. The software instruction may
include a corresponding software module. The software module may be
stored in a RAM, a flash memory, a ROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a
register, a hard disk, a mobile hard disk, a compact disc (CD) ROM
(CD-ROM), or any other form of storage medium well-known in the
art. For example, a storage medium is coupled to a processor such
that the processor can read information from the storage medium or
write information into the storage medium. Certainly, the storage
medium may be a component of the processor. The processor and the
storage medium may be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC may
be located in the access and mobility management network element or
the access network device. Certainly, the processor and the storage
medium may exist in the access and mobility management network
element or the access network device as discrete components.
[0228] In the embodiments of this application, the word "example"
or "for example" is used to represent giving an example, an
illustration, or a description. Any embodiment or design solution
described as an "example" or "for example" in the embodiments of
this application should not be explained as being more preferred or
having more advantages than another embodiment or design solution.
Exactly, use of the term "example" or "for example" or the like is
intended to present a relative concept in a specific manner.
[0229] In the embodiments of this application, "at least one" means
one or more, and "a plurality of" means two or more. The term
"and/or" describes an association relationship for describing
associated objects and represents that three relationships may
exist. For example, A and/or B may represent the following cases:
only A exists, both A and B exist, and only B exists, where A and B
may be in a singular or plural form. The character "/" usually
indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects. "At
least one of the following (pieces)" or a similar expression
thereof means any combination of these items, including any
combination of singular items (pieces) or plural items (pieces).
For example, at least one (piece) of a, b, or c may represent a, b,
c, a-b, a-c, b-c, or a-b-c, where a, b, and c may be in a singular
or plural form. In addition, to clearly describe the technical
solutions in the embodiments of this application, terms such as
"first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this
application to distinguish between same items or similar items that
have basically the same functions or purposes. A person skilled in
the art may understand that the terms such as "first" and "second"
do not limit a quantity or an execution sequence, and that the
terms such as "first" and "second" do not indicate a definite
difference.
[0230] In the embodiments of this application, for ease of
understanding, a plurality of examples is used for description.
However, these examples are merely examples, but it does not mean
that these examples are best implementations for implementing this
application.
[0231] In the embodiments of this application, for ease of
description, a request message, a response message, and names of
various other messages are used. However, these messages are merely
used as examples to describe content that needs to be carried or an
implemented function. Specific names of the messages constitute no
limitation to this application. For example, the messages may be a
first message, a second message, and a third message. These
messages may be specific messages, or may be some fields in the
messages. These messages may alternatively represent various
service operations.
[0232] A person skilled in the art should be aware that in the
foregoing one or more examples, functions described in the
embodiments of this application may be implemented by hardware,
software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When the functions
are implemented by software, these functions may be stored in a
computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions
or code in the computer-readable medium. The computer-readable
medium includes a computer storage medium and a communications
medium, where the communications medium includes any medium that
enables a computer program to be transmitted from one place to
another. The storage medium may be any available medium accessible
to a general-purpose or a special-purpose computer.
[0233] In the foregoing specific implementations, the objectives,
technical solutions, and beneficial effects of the embodiments of
this application are further described in detail. It should be
understood that the foregoing descriptions are merely specific
implementations of the embodiments of this application, but are not
intended to limit the protection scope of the embodiments of this
application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, or
improvement made based on the technical solutions in the
embodiments of this application shall fall within the protection
scope of the embodiments of this application.
* * * * *